NavyMarine Golf Course (Honolulu, HI)

NavyMarine is one of the top military golf courses in the world. I had the honor of playing it a few years ago when I was visiting my daughter stationed at Fort Shafter. (Arguably one of my best vacations ever!) 

(A common sight at NavyMarine are the seven palm trees backdropping the greens, a reference to Pearl Harbor a few miles away.) 

NavyMarine was designed in 1948 by William Bell on a rectangular piece of property. H1, Valkenburgh Ave,and Radford St all border the course in urban Honolulu. 

(The fence is a boundary line that speaks for itself. No one will be confused about the OB.)

NavyMarine looks like a typical parkland course, except instead of hardwoods, it has palm trees. Bell did a nice job routing it over some decent terrain. The long par fours are the main challenge. (#3 440, #4 420, #6 456, #14 436, & #17 475) These are all very difficult pars, especially seventeen where the approach is all uphill. 

My three favorite holes are all on the back. Twelve is a par three that two has personalities. The first day I played it, the pin was in the rear, resulting in a simple par. The second day a front right pin just over the water saw me make a quick double bogey. I like holes that can change dramatically based on pin location. 

I loved fifteen. 

The water is not in play, but both days I played here saw me dump my tee shot into the front bunker. Two different pin locations, yet both times in the sand. It's a good looking hole too. 

The sixteenth is a great par five that plays downhill between the trees before going slightly uphill. The putting surface is small and circular, and reminded me a bit of Torrey Pines in San Diego. 

NavyMarine is a solid course kept in excellent shape, but what really makes it special is the history of the land it's built on. This is where the wounded and dead were taken when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. This is where the men were taken to tent city before they left to fight in the pacific. This is why NavyMarine is the premiere military course in the world. And why it's loved by so many. There's no ocean view, and the architecture is typical Bell, but it's a course that deserves playing. I give a 5 (good). 

(The par three eighth is just a short iron, but when the wind blows, the right side is a safe play.)